Facebook Refunds Some Advertisers After Finding New Measurement Bug - fifth metrics error since September
Facebook Refunds Some Advertisers After Finding New
Measurement Bug
The disclosure marks the fifth time Facebook has
acknowledged a metrics error since September
By Lara O’Reilly Updated May 16, 2017 3:55 p.m. ET
Facebook Inc. said it is issuing refunds to some
advertisers after discovering a bug in its system that led it to overstate
clicks on marketers’ websites, a disclosure that comes as Madison Avenue is
demanding better and more transparent measurement from the social network.
In a blog post published Tuesday, the social network said
the discrepancy was minor. It occurred when users visited the site on mobile
browsers—not in the Facebook app or on desktops—and clicked on its “video
carousel” ad formats to expand them in size. Those clicks were inadvertently
registered as website clicks. The carousels allow advertisers to place multiple
images, videos and text within one ad unit, which users can swipe across to
view.
Facebook says the bug affected advertisers specifically
paying for ads that resulted in clicks to their websites. Over the period
Facebook was monitoring, 0.04% of all impressions on the social network were
impacted, the company said.
Carolyn Everson, Facebook’s vice president of global
marketing solutions, said the bug was uncovered as part of a recently
introduced review process and the company is “committed to transparency” with
its partners.
Facebook’s disclosure comes right in the middle of the
annual U.S. television “upfront” season, when the biggest TV networks throw
glitzy events and parties showcasing their programming in the hopes of securing
billions of dollars in advertising commitments from marketers. It will play
into the narrative among media executives that TV offers a safer and more
predictable environment for marketers than digital platforms.
Facebook has now acknowledged on five separate occasions
since September that it has either overstated or understated the metrics
advertisers and publishers use to get a sense of the effectiveness of their
posts and ads on the platform. Until now, none of these publicly confirmed
metrics errors had affected billing, although Facebook has issued some refunds
to individual advertisers in the past for reporting bugs.
Unilever PLC, the consumer packaged-goods giant that owns
brands such as Dove and Hellmann’s, was one of the advertisers affected by the
latest error and is receiving a full, but small, refund.
Keith Weed, Unilever’s chief marketing and communications
officer, said Facebook had been proactive to address the bug as quickly as
possible, but that it nonetheless highlights the need for more transparency and
third-party verification in the digital space to track both advertising
effectiveness and whether advertising transactions are working as agreed.
Mr. Weed added: “It highlights once again that while
there has been progress, there is still further improvement needed.”
Facebook in November launched a blog to provide updates
on errors and bugs it comes across. The company also announced a measurement
council, consisting of marketers and ad agency executives who provide feedback
on how it is performing on the metrics front.
In addition, Facebook has brought on board several new
independent measurement partners since making the disclosures about the
mistakes in its metrics. In February, Facebook committed to an independent
audit by the Media Rating Council, an industry body that oversees measurement
standards.
One U.S.-based digital ad buyer said the latest mishap
shows that while the social network has good intentions to improve on the
measurement front, it could do better to get its strong engineering and sales
teams on the same page.
”The fact that these things keep coming up means there
needs to be a better bridge between those teams,” the buyer said.
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